I would not want 2nd person to become popular but in this book it was perfect. It worked with the story across the 3 books and honestly there were moments where I felt the emotional hit of events more based on that. The brain can't help itself.

I’ll be careful, having read the trilogy. I never read the second person parts as being addressed to me, the reader. And I don’t believe it was meant to. At first it seemed Essun disassociating after a trauma. Then I also read it as an unknown 3rd character was telling Essun about her life. It makes total sense in the end. What an amazing series.

When I was reading this for the first time I was like "this world has no moon doesn't it" and I was hyped to find out I was right.

I liked this looser style, it felt more natural than something totally scripted and edited.

I have been eyeing this series for a while and this just reassured me that I need to pick it up.

Syenite is a type of rock (all the fulcrum orogenes are named after minerals or rocks), and thus is pronounced "Cyan-ITE" or like "Sigh-a-night". You almost had it right there for a moment. I'm a geologist so noticed this immediately, but I wonder if anyone else noticed this naming convention.

Technically the book is second person because it’s actually first person from another character’s perspective. It’s actually explained and pointed out in the next two books.

*mild spoiler regarding 2nd person POV* I thought the second person thing was because while it was following the main character it was being narrated by someone else watching the main character do those things. The last chapter makes it a bit clearer as to why.

I love this trilogy! I was lucky enough to see N.K Jemisin win the Hugo for The Stone Sky this year. I actually never grew to like the second person, but like you, It was a small thing. Syenite and Alabaster’s relationship (all forms) is probably one of the best I’ve ever read. . . . Didn’t want to accidentally spoil anyone, but I figured out Damaya, Syenite, and Essun were the same person before it was confirmed. But the reveal still had me tingling! I totally understand craving the next book, I binged this trilogy in a week lol!

Your review is definitely making me put this on my must read for 2019. Thanks Daniel!!

This has been on my tbr forever, I’ve heard such good things and I’m glad you enjoyed it too!

This was FANTASTIC. I've read this recently aswell. I instantly bought the rest of the trilogy. The reveals and slow burn were amazing. I like this style of review :)

I've searched and searched and can not find your reviews for The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky

This book has been on my radar for a while now but I will kick it up higher on my TBR. Great review, really looking forward to reading it!

This is interesting because I really liked the second person, I thought it was a really clever choice based on the end and how everything came together.

Great review Daniel and love the new format. Would love to see some Malazan reviews/discussion with spoilers ;) I read this series last year and finished it in a month, which is fast for me. I loved being immersed in a world so unlike our own, where language and culture has been shaped by never-ending earthquakes and volcanoes. Btw, Syenite is named after a rock, like Alabaster and others you'll encounter in books 2 and 3. It's pronounced sigh-a-night :)

After I saw N.K. Jemisin won the Hugo award for best novel three years in a row, I had to check this series out. It's off to a strong start. I'm hoping to finish it this week. Nice review!

Fantastic review, Daniel. I recently read and thought The Fifth Season was brilliant. And you are my number one for fantasy reviews, so I had to come see if you had a review. I also didn’t catch the twist although upon reread and going back, there is definitely an amass of foreshadowing. Need to reread soon. Hope to finish the series this month/next month.

I found the second person narrative to be startling, but once I completed the novel looking back I felt that it was a really powerful. And clever. As I was reading I felt that this perspective helped me to feel more intimate with this character than I did with the other characters. But upon reflection, I believe this particular perspective was a brilliant way to show her inner dialogue, how she was moment by moment establishing her new reality, and how it helped her navigate this intense trauma. I listened to the audiobook, which was EXCELLENTLY done, highly recommend! But the names - even though your pronunciation differs from the narrator, but I really liked your version too. And after WOT, they seem refreshingly lyrical and simple LOL

SPOILERS I started to have an inkling that they were all the same character at about the first interlude, and I felt so good when it turned out to be correct in that Damaya chapter. I love how she doesn't treat the reader as an idiot and writes the plot and exposition in a way which is gleaned and earned instead of explicitly told in blocks of text, and it's possible to figure out certain twists by paying attention to little details and character and world building

Just finished this, everyone who reread the beginning about how the earth broke the moment the novel ended, r.a.i.s.e. your hand! What a book.

Okay heard your spoiler-free thoughts and it's in my basket. Looking forward to hearing them all when I get round to this series

Just finished the first book and enjoyed it overall. My interest in the 3 stories went up and down, the worst part being when they got to pirate island. Some parts of the book were really interesting and I wanted to spend more time there (particularly Damaya at the fulcrum with the other grits). I’m picking up the 2nd book tomorrow.

Regrets!! I’ve picked this up twice and put it down un-purchased twice. Putting it at top of list. I like this style for you for more specific, lengthy reviews involving the sharing of content along with your opinion. I can better focus on the details. For more opinion based content, controversial stuff and what not I enjoy the humorous, animated nature of your “traditional” videos. Keep the lols coming! Hope that makes so kinda sense. Hi Cash!!!

I just bought this trilogy on sale on amazon. I'm taking a gamble. I'm not the strongest reader but I'm getting better. Haven't read much sci Fi or fantasy but want to challenge myself. Hope I like it.

I like this format. Good review.

I will say that her use of second person makes much more thematic sense when you read the series in it's entirety.

I enjoyed the second person parts. The author got me to be emotional along with the character, which was an interesting experience. Other times when I’ve been emotional with a character there was more of a separation, but I felt an immediate connection. Maybe strange, but I liked it. 🙂

After watching the first half of this video, I went and picked up this book. It's the best book I've read since I finished the Wheel of Time.

I love this trilogy, and I'm so glad you liked the first book! Jemisin's work in this book is brilliant.

I absolutely loved this book! I agree with you about the second person. I struggled so much during those parts. But other then that it was incredible. I read all 3 books and really enjoyed them but I think overall the first book was my favorite

Yes , yes , yes ,Okay so i read it blind as well and I needed the affirmation from the end. It was such a good read.

I just finished this and OMG! This may be my favorite opener for a fantasy series ever!

Just started this book and have never read anything in second person and I don't mind it, I find her story the most compelling so far but I haven't met the third character yet.

I really liked that you were more indepth in the spoiler free zone than in the spoiler filled zone. As someone interested in reading new books, this is the kind of recomendations I look for. I prefer the other video style, though

I just started reading and I am only 1/4 the way in but this book is freaking me out. For the last few months I have been working on forming ideas and outlining my own story. I started reading this book and the magic system is nearly identical to what I had in mind. The introduction to the story is also strikingly similar to what I had in mind with a magic-using character destroying the largest city in the world for unknown reasons. It's a mix of encouraging that I thought along the same lines of a real writer, but discouraging that my ideas aren't as unique as I had hoped.

This is easily one of the best books I've read this year, I just adored it.

This book has been on my TBR forever and I think it just moved to the top, as soon as I finish Lightbringer

Reading this for a grad course this semester! Can’t wait!

The Fifth Season was a stunning book

i bought this on audiobook because you recommended it, i comment a lot. i'm a couple hours in and love it. old man's war review (in the same vein as the martian and we are legion we are bob (which i just completed book 3 couple hours ago)). Also I have a very unique magic system i'd love to kick the tires on with you as well - big fan (and i hate when they do that in first person, I understand that she want's the impact to affect you, but hurt my ears)

The second person choice was jarring at first but once I quickly got used to it, it didn't bother me at all. I really really am enjoying it, almost done with book one, and just bought the second two books so I can binge read it, as I've heard, it is ideally read as one long book.

Three consecutive best novel Hugos later, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Ms. Jemisin maintained the level.

Oh i love this book. It was in my top 5 book last year when i read it. Did you read any of her other series?

The second person narrative is what made this book, stylistically. Fantasy readers need to up their game.

Great D and D comparison.

reading this now, have to say, this book will probably completely cure my reading slump

I'm on book 2 right now, and I'm loving it.

Joining this now as I'm currently reading this and need some help figuring it out

I didn't mind the second person narration, but I'm pretty good at adapting to those kinds of things. For City of Stairs, I didn't realize until I watched a review afterwards that the book is in present tense.

I'd like to hear your take on the trilogy as a whole. I was not as impressed as you were with this first book but I was intrigued enough to go on and read the next two books. The world was original and I wasn't bothered by the second person narration, but I did have some fundamental problems with the world building, especially in regard to food and its availability. I also just couldn't seem to get attached to any of the characters. I tried to. I really did. For three books, I tried. But, it just didn't happen. I know I'm in the minority with this opinion, but there it is.

OUCH! Having only listened to the audiobooks, those name pronunciations are atrocious. Btw the way, the audio books are FANTASTIC. They are as well narrated as the books are well written.

Did you ever do a review on the rest of the books? If so I can't find them easily on your page. I went to it and searched for the book name and trilogy name but couldn't find anything. I'd love to hear your perspective on it.

I’ve been debating with myself over whether I wanna buy this or the Mistborn trilogy. No access to a good library unfortunately so I plan on buying online. Will have to pick one for now. Also heard great things about an old classic by Ursula K Le Guinn called the Books of Earthsea, have you read it?

Just recently read the 5th season and I really liked it.

this series is amazing! I didn’t really like the main character, but I FELT her, I understood how she made the decisions she did, I felt the need to find my child. It is, without a doubt, one of the best I ever read, from writing ability, to plot, to character development and whatever. The second and third book aren’t as good as the original, hard act to follow, but she did an amazing job with the phenomenal start she created.. And she brought all the story arch’s full circle with richness, pain, love and ..just being right…

I've noticed something regarding the usage of second-person narration, when it works 1. In instances where the first person narrator addresses a mute other character such as Tracker (From Black Leopard, Red Wolf) addressing the inquisitor 2. The unknown narrator narrates another character's life, talking to the character as if telling their life story for them (like it happens in Fifth Season). Where it doesn't work is where the author uses their narrator to address the reader and dictate what the READER does in the author's story. That's where I draw the line and I start to have a problem. I can tolerate a dialogue between characters and the usage of "you" in those cases, but I HATE it when an author nonchalantly tells me what I do in their story. No, thank you!

Not actually heard of this one. I'll put it on the TBR by the sound of this review

I totally thought the 'twist' might have been a thing for a long time before it was revealed. Even so, it was great.

I'd really love to know if you've read the rest of the trilogy yet. You said in a collab that you understood why she chose to write part of it in second-person but you wouldn't have made that decision if you wrote it -- and I'm really curious to know if you'd still not have made that decision after the end of the whole shebang.

please help me, I've read the trilogy... but.... could someone tell me why antimony ate Alabaster ? Why Hoa was eating essun ?

I picked this trilogy in box set form....it is next on my to read list after Kingkiller trilogy

Sounds like Tri-solaris (Three Body Problem) will give it a read

the fact that all the characters were the same was obvious to me from the first time we got a second chapter on anyone other second-person lady. The other characters aren't going through the apocalypse yet, which means they're in different period of times, and from there its an easy conclusion. Once I pieced that together, all the second person stuff drove me off from the book

I just started reading this book (audiobook) and the prologue and first chapter were a huge turn off for me, because of the narration style. I'm so glad you said it goes away and what happens after is a great experience, it's exactly what I wanted to hear lol.

I read this book in march I really enjoyed it just started on the obelisk gate 😁😀🙂

Please finish this series!!!

Thanks for the review. I’m half way through it and it’s just not doing it for me. So before I dnf’d, I wanted to listen to book reviews and yes, SPOILERS! Lol I think I can press on. Your job here is done.😂

I thought you said that the second person stuff was a bit in the beginning. I'm into the second book now and its still going on. I found it very distracting at first but I'm used to it now.

I'm here cause of the news of the adaptation and I want to see what all the Hype is all about

This would be a tough video to do and would likely generate a lot of negative responses. But, I would love you to give this trilogy a 2nd look in light of the current political upheaval and othering we are experiencing. Sometimes fiction can help us understand and cope with the world we really live in.

Did you review the other books or any other NK works?

Daniel I feel like I have so much to say about this series, I didn't like it that much. I love the spoiler that you mentioned, but she did too much hinting and not enough explaining. What about the moon? Yes it's intriguing but what about it? I dunno... I felt myself rereading the first part of the book for descriptions of the fulcum and stuff...

I've owned this book for more than a year, and have yet to read it...

I couldn’t get through chapter 1 it just did not grab me instantly. It might be because I read this after Bloody Rose. I ended up switching to the Powder Mage trilogy.

The big reveal in this book was sooo confusing but I love this book.

The second person was a little jarring but makes narrative sense by the end of the third book.

Trying to avoid obvious spoilers, but I'll put a break in so people don't have to read below if they don't want to: . . . . I saw the twist coming, when it became clear that the story was being told in chunks, similar to The Witcher tv show. Didn't ruin anything for me, and it just made me appreciate the story and how each part fits with the others.

Your name pronunciation broke my head lol

Spoilers- I loved the world building and setting however I found the character of seyenite to be unlikable with little redeeming qualities compared to her character in other time periods. Really not trying to be a know it all but I just saw the twist coming very early on so I didn’t get that carthatic pay off a twist normally brings. Also the seyenite inno initial attraction love triangle did pang of a young adult novel to me. Just felt really forced and unbelievable. I think I just heard too much good hype for the book and had too high expectations. I agree that a lot of the book is really well written i just hoped I would like seyenite more.

Any fantasy elements like non human races and monsters?

Did you read the second and third books?

I approve of the thumbnail

I've finished the trilogy, I straightforward loved it, it all makes sense as it goes on, and you keep learning something about the world in every book. I also got slightly annoyed by the "you" perspective, but allover the commentary on climate change, racism, classism and everything just works, and doesn't feel forced nor is it a secret that you explicitly have to look for. The way the "magic" system is built just amazing, you feel they're extremely powerful, at the same time you see the limitations as well. All over a lovable series, that I picked up at random, cause I had read no reviews of it, I just saw the book sitting on the shelf in a bookstore and just thought the blurb was nice, and usually I'm very picky about the books I buy. What a funny coincidence. I loved the twist, caught me by surprise though I had budding suspicions at times, but it was so well hidden and what a paradigm shift it has on everything you've read up to that point.

The narration choice is actually really interesting IMO but it doesn’t really make sense until the final book.

It’s Syanite like how you would say cyanide.

“One segment” LOL did Daniel even *read* this book?! Essun’s entire arc of chapters in the book are written in the second person, and that arc covers the entire book- and the second and third books expand on that.

So I just accidentally read a comment or two. Will me knowing about the moon ruin the book?

The second person has a real purpose here which becomes more apparent as the series goes on. Didn't love the 2nd and 3rd books as much as I loved the first

Did you finish this series?

I saw the title and was like "the fifth season of what?"

Did you ever read the next two?

syenite is pronounces like the same way as the mineral I think

Why father earth instead of mother earth?

Interesting take

Interesting name pronunciations, I just read syenite like the word.

did he ever give his thoughts on the entire trilogy ?

11:40 God damn it. I guessed that by the way people where talking about the book, and some ass hole told me I was wrong.

eleven hours of an audio book and i still have not heard the ending

Ahh I read the first two in the series. I don’t know really don’t drive me to form an opinion one way or another. They were just blah to me. I didn’t care about the characters that much. The child abuse was sort of jarring and didn’t really need to be used imo. The point could have been made without it. It is original I’ll give it that. I’ll probably read book three just to finish the series. I do think the writing is slow as hell though. A lot of really unnecessary filler in the book imo.